Goal: Identify inherited cardiovascular disease within families and slow the progression of disease by instituting an early regimen of preventative care. Certain heart conditions are genetic or inherited, affecting more than one person in a single family. The Johns Hopkins Center for Inherited Heart Diseases provides specialized screening and consultation for individuals with several forms of genetic heart disease including hypertrophic, restrictive, and dilated cardiomyopathies, inherited heart rhythm disorders such as LongQT and Brugada syndromes, familial cardiac amyloid, and inherited conditions that result in heart or heart-valve malformations Established in 2007, our Center has continued the long-standing tradition of pioneering genetic breakthroughs in the field of cardiology at Johns Hopkins. The goal of our world-renowned Center is to identify inherited cardiovascular disease within families and slow the progression of disease by instituting an early regimen of preventative care. Genetic Counseling
Following the pattern of a cardiac problem in your family can help your physicians predict the likelihood for you to have the same condition, as well as the care pattern that should be prescribed. As genetic testing becomes increasingly available for these conditions, the Johns Hopkins Center for Inherited Heart Diseases can provide you with appropriate counseling on the risks and benefits of these tests.
Genetic counseling is critical for understanding how genetic information may impact your future health, as well as your family life. The genetic counselors and physicians at our Center are trained to carefully identify this information and guide you in making a decision about how to use this knowledge, if necessary.
What to expect at your first appointment: Prior to your appointment, you will be asked to provide our team with details of your family history of cardiac problems. Please contact us for the forms to fill out. ( cardiacgenetics@jhmi.edu) Instructions on where to send after completion are included on the formsof cardiovascular disease.
As part of your visit, you will receive genetic counseling with a certified Genetic Counselor. You will also meet with a cardiologist who specializes in inherited forms of cardiovascular disease.
Additional testing, including echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, and cardiac MRI, may be necessary to fully evaluate your condition. We do try and schedule testing on the same day as your visit. We will also discuss with you the risks and benefits of genetic testing and arrange such testing if you would like.
After counseling and testing, our physician and genetic counselor will discuss your results with you. Included will be counseling on how to manage these results and recommendations for follow-up care.
The goal of our Center is to follow our patients through management of their disease. We also provide counseling to family members and work with other members of the cardiology community to better understand inherited forms of cardiovascular disease.
Some conditions which could be inherited include:
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD) – Drs Hugh Calkins and Daniel Judge
Brugada syndrome – Dr Gordon Tomaselli
Cardiac amyloidosis – Dr Daniel Judge
Cardiac myxoma – Dr Daniel Judge
Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy – Drs Daniel Judge and Lili Barouch
Familial Valvular heart disease – Drs Daniel Judge and Thomas Traill
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – Drs Daniel Judge, Ted Abraham, and Lili Barouch
Long QT syndrome – Dr Gordon Tomaselli
Marfan syndrome – Dr Hal Dietz in the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine
Noncompaction cardiomyopathy – Dr Daniel Judge
Restrictive cardiomyopathy – Dr Daniel Judge
Additional Pediatric cardiology specialists are available through the Helen B. Taussig Pediatric Cardiology Center at Johns Hopkins. Contact Us:
To schedule an appointment, please call 410-502-2578.
You can also email us here. Recent Research
Judge, Daniel and Johnson, Nicole “Genetic Evaluation of Familial Cardiomyopathy” | 
